How does eczema relate to allergies or asthma?

1/3: Eczema in infants/toddlers can be related to food allergies in up to ⅓ of cases.

Common etiology...: Asthma and eczema can both be due to allergies. Once allergic triggers are known, avoidance as much as possible should be done.

A strong link: A mom told me in israel her son's eczema was referred to as skin asthma; a great way to emphasize that infantile eczema often precedes onset of asthma by 2-3 years. For every 3 kids seen for eczema 2 react to foods on skin/blood testing. Only 1 of 3 improves with elimination of some foods. They're never allergic to all the foods to which they react. Dust mites may be the primary culprit in the end.

Eczema and allergy: Atopic dermatitis is often an early sign of allergic disease in infants, but some infants have eczema which is not related to allergic predisposition. Foods are often possible triggers of allergic reactions and atopic dermatitis at this age. The treatment for both allergic and non allergic eczema includes moisturizer without fragrance several times daily. Please follow up with your pediatrician.